tensioners/ head removal

[kiwiaudio]

I'm about to remove the heads to decarbon, and wondered if it was necessary to remove the left side down firing cam chain tensioner. I have visions of the innards falling down inside when the chain is totally slack. Is this an issue or can it not travel that far ?

[Ken H.]

Remove it. It’s much easier to tie the chain and cam gear in place with the tensioner released. Your more likely to mess up the chain timing with it in place and tension on the chain than without.

[T__]

kiwiaudio, I agree with Ken.. There is a spring in that tensioner & if you don’t remove it you will have problems working with the chain..

 

I wouldn’t worry about tensioner parts falling into the engine as long as you remove all the parts from the hole from the top before pulling the cam gear.. Depending what iteration of chain tensionr you have it might all come out as an assembly,, or if the original early one you might have to remove the piston & spring after you pull the top nut off.. In any case no big deal to fish the parts out of the hole..

 

Be ultra careful when turning the engine over or working with the chain or loosening the cam gear nut as it is very easy to break a piece off the cam chain guides if not very careful.. Never (ever) turn the engine backwards with any of the cam chain parts loose..

 

Twisty

 

[kiwiaudio]

Thanks guys, you have confirmed my thoughts. Interesting that in all the threads I've read on head removal/decarboning etc. I've never seen mention of pulling the tensioner before the head.

Perhaps its obvious - I dunno !

 

Sidenote - I came across a post mentioning a updated left side tensioner that was one piece (not to be dismantled).

When I replaced mine a year ago with the supposed hot setup, it was a 3 piece unit. I suspect the one piece tensioner was devised to cure something that my replacement did not.

Any ideas ?

[T__]

Thanks guys, you have confirmed my thoughts. Interesting that in all the threads I've read on head removal/decarboning etc. I've never seen mention of pulling the tensioner before the head.

Perhaps its obvious - I dunno !

 

Sidenote - I came across a post mentioning a updated left side tensioner that was one piece (not to be dismantled).

When I replaced mine a year ago with the supposed hot setup, it was a 3 piece unit. I suspect the one piece tensioner was devised to cure something that my replacement did not.

Any ideas ?

 

 

 

Kiwiaudio, even the later tensioners I do believe can be pulled apart.. They just come already assembled..

 

As far as the manual showing pulling the chain tensioners? It is in there you just have to read down through the engine disassembly procedure page by page from the beginning.. In fact it even cautions to do so before removing the cam gear so the parts don’t fall down into the crankcase on the L/H side..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twisty

[kiwiaudio]

Aha, I even have that manual. I've kind of gotten into the habit of checking this site first !

Note to self: Read the manuals too !!

 

Thanks Twisty !